The 2019 Florida Statutes

(1) The Department of Education shall serve as the lead agency for juvenile justice education programs, curriculum, support services, and resources. To this end, the Department of Education and the Department of Juvenile Justice shall each designate a Coordinator for Juvenile Justice Education Programs to serve as the point of contact for resolving issues not addressed by district school boards and to provide each department’s participation in the following activities:

(a) Training, collaborating, and coordinating with district school boards, local workforce development boards, and local youth councils, educational contract providers, and juvenile justice providers, whether state operated or contracted.

(b) Collecting information on the academic, career and professional education (CAPE), and transition performance of students in juvenile justice programs and reporting on the results.

(c) Developing academic and CAPE protocols that provide guidance to district school boards and juvenile justice education providers in all aspects of education programming, including records transfer and transition.

(d) Implementing a joint accountability, program performance, and program improvement process.

Annually, a cooperative agreement and plan for juvenile justice education service enhancement shall be developed between the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Education and submitted to the Secretary of Juvenile Justice and the Commissioner of Education by June 30. The plan shall include, at a minimum, each agency’s role regarding educational program accountability, technical assistance, training, and coordination of services.

(2) Students participating in Department of Juvenile Justice education programs pursuant to chapter 985 which are sponsored by a community-based agency or are operated or contracted for by the Department of Juvenile Justice shall receive education programs according to rules of the State Board of Education. These students shall be eligible for services afforded to students enrolled in programs pursuant to s. 1003.53 and all corresponding State Board of Education rules.

(3) The district school board of the county in which the juvenile justice education prevention, day treatment, residential, or detention program is located shall provide or contract for appropriate educational assessments and an appropriate program of instruction and special education services.

(a) The district school board shall make provisions for each student to participate in basic, CAPE, and exceptional student programs as appropriate. Students served in Department of Juvenile Justice education programs shall have access to the appropriate courses and instruction to prepare them for the high school equivalency examination. Students participating in high school equivalency examination preparation programs shall be funded at the basic program cost factor for Department of Juvenile Justice programs in the Florida Education Finance Program. Each program shall be conducted according to applicable law providing for the operation of public schools and rules of the State Board of Education. School districts shall provide the high school equivalency examination exit option for all juvenile justice education programs.

(b) The Department of Education, with the assistance of the school districts and juvenile justice education providers, shall select a common student assessment instrument and protocol for measuring student learning gains and student progression while a student is in a juvenile justice education program. The Department of Education and the Department of Juvenile Justice shall jointly review the effectiveness of this assessment and implement changes as necessary.

(4) Educational services shall be provided at times of the day most appropriate for the juvenile justice program. School programming in juvenile justice detention, prevention, day treatment, and residential programs shall be made available by the local school district during the juvenile justice school year, as provided in s. 1003.01(11). In addition, students in juvenile justice education programs shall have access to courses offered pursuant to ss. 1002.37, 1002.45, and 1003.498. The Department of Education and the school districts shall adopt policies necessary to provide such access.

(5) The educational program shall provide instruction based on each student’s individualized transition plan, assessed educational needs, and the education programs available in the school district in which the student will return. Depending on the student’s needs, educational programming may consist of remedial courses, academic courses required for grade advancement, CAPE courses, high school equivalency examination preparation, or exceptional student education curricula and related services which support the transition goals and reentry and which may lead to completion of the requirements for receipt of a high school diploma or its equivalent. Prevention and day treatment juvenile justice education programs, at a minimum, shall provide career readiness and exploration opportunities as well as truancy and dropout prevention intervention services. Residential juvenile justice education programs with a contracted minimum length of stay of 9 months shall provide CAPE courses that lead to preapprentice certifications and industry certifications. Programs with contracted lengths of stay of less than 9 months may provide career education courses that lead to preapprentice certifications and CAPE industry certifications. If the duration of a program is less than 40 days, the educational component may be limited to tutorial remediation activities, career employability skills instruction, education counseling, and transition services that prepare students for a return to school, the community, and their home settings based on the students’ needs.

(6) Participation in the program by students of compulsory school-attendance age as provided for in s. 1003.21 shall be mandatory. All students of noncompulsory school-attendance age who have not received a high school diploma or its equivalent shall participate in the educational program, unless the student files a formal declaration of his or her intent to terminate school enrollment as described in s. 1003.21 and is afforded the opportunity to take the high school equivalency examination and attain a Florida high school diploma before release from a juvenile justice education program. A student who has received a high school diploma or its equivalent and is not employed shall participate in workforce development or other CAPE education or Florida College System institution or university courses while in the program, subject to available funding.

(7) An individualized progress monitoring plan shall be developed for all students not classified as exceptional education students upon entry in a juvenile justice education program and upon reentry in the school district. These plans shall address academic, literacy, and career and technical skills and shall include provisions for intensive remedial instruction in the areas of weakness.

(8) Each district school board shall maintain an academic record for each student enrolled in a juvenile justice education program as prescribed by s. 1003.51. Such record shall delineate each course completed by the student according to procedures in the State Course Code Directory. The district school board shall include a copy of a student’s academic record in the discharge packet when the student exits the program.

(9) Each district school board shall make provisions for high school level students to earn credits toward high school graduation while in residential and nonresidential juvenile justice education programs. Provisions must be made for the transfer of credits and partial credits earned.

(10) School districts and juvenile justice education providers shall develop individualized transition plans during the course of a student’s stay in a juvenile justice education program to coordinate academic, career and technical, and secondary and postsecondary services that assist the student in successful community reintegration upon release. Development of the transition plan shall be a collaboration of the personnel in the juvenile justice education program, reentry personnel, personnel from the school district where the student will return, the student, the student’s family, and Department of Juvenile Justice personnel for committed students.

(a) Transition planning must begin upon a student’s placement in the program. The transition plan must include, at a minimum:

2. Services to be provided during the program stay and services to be implemented upon release, including, but not limited to, continuing education in secondary school, CAPE programs, postsecondary education, or employment, based on the student’s needs.

3. Specific monitoring responsibilities to determine whether the individualized transition plan is being implemented and the student is provided access to support services that will sustain the student’s success by individuals who are responsible for the reintegration and coordination of these activities.

(b) For the purpose of transition planning and reentry services, representatives from the school district and the one-stop center where the student will return shall participate as members of the local Department of Juvenile Justice reentry teams. The school district, upon return of a student from a juvenile justice education program, must consider the individual needs and circumstances of the student and the transition plan recommendations when reenrolling a student in a public school. A local school district may not maintain a standardized policy for all students returning from a juvenile justice program but place students based on their needs and their performance in the juvenile justice education program, including any virtual education options.

(c) The Department of Education and the Department of Juvenile Justice shall provide oversight and guidance to school districts, education providers, and reentry personnel on how to implement effective educational transition planning and services.

(11) The district school board shall recruit and train teachers who are interested, qualified, or experienced in educating students in juvenile justice programs. Students in juvenile justice programs shall be provided a wide range of education programs and opportunities including textbooks, technology, instructional support, and resources commensurate with resources provided to students in public schools, including textbooks and access to technology. If the district school board operates a juvenile justice education program at a juvenile justice facility, the district school board, in consultation with the director of the juvenile justice facility, shall select the instructional personnel assigned to that program. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice or the director of a juvenile justice program may request that the performance of a teacher assigned by the district to a juvenile justice education program be reviewed by the district and that the teacher be reassigned based upon an evaluation conducted pursuant to s. 1012.34 or for inappropriate behavior. Juvenile justice education programs shall have access to the substitute teacher pool used by the district school board.

(12) District school boards may contract with a private provider for the provision of education programs to students placed with the Department of Juvenile Justice and shall generate local, state, and federal funding, including funding through the Florida Education Finance Program for such students. The district school board’s planning and budgeting process shall include the needs of Department of Juvenile Justice education programs in the district school board’s plan for expenditures for state categorical and federal funds.

(13)(a) Funding for eligible students enrolled in juvenile justice education programs shall be provided through the Florida Education Finance Program as provided in s. 1011.62 and the General Appropriations Act. Funding shall include, at a minimum:

1. Weighted program funding or the basic amount for current operation multiplied by the district cost differential as provided in s. 1011.62(2);

2. The supplemental allocation for juvenile justice education as provided in s. 1011.62(10);

4. An amount equivalent to the proportionate share of the state average potential discretionary local effort for operations, which shall be determined as follows:

a. If the district levies the maximum discretionary local effort and the district’s discretionary local effort per FTE is less than the state average potential discretionary local effort per FTE, the proportionate share shall include both the discretionary local effort and the compression supplement per FTE. If the district’s discretionary local effort per FTE is greater than the state average per FTE, the proportionate share shall be equal to the state average; or

b. If the district does not levy the maximum discretionary local effort and the district’s actual discretionary local effort per FTE is less than the state average potential discretionary local effort per FTE, the proportionate share shall be equal to the district’s actual discretionary local effort per FTE. If the district’s actual discretionary local effort per FTE is greater than the state average per FTE, the proportionate share shall be equal to the state average potential local effort per FTE; and

5. A proportionate share of the district’s proration to funds available, if necessary.

(b) Juvenile justice education programs to receive the appropriate FEFP funding for Department of Juvenile Justice education programs shall include those operated through a contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice.

(c) Consistent with the rules of the State Board of Education, district school boards shall request an alternative FTE survey for Department of Juvenile Justice education programs experiencing fluctuations in student enrollment.

(d) FTE count periods shall be prescribed in rules of the State Board of Education and shall be the same for programs of the Department of Juvenile Justice as for other public school programs. The summer school period for students in Department of Juvenile Justice education programs shall begin on the day immediately following the end of the regular school year and end on the day immediately preceding the subsequent regular school year. Students shall be funded for no more than 25 hours per week of direct instruction.

(e) Each juvenile justice education program must receive all federal funds for which the program is eligible.

(14) Each district school board shall negotiate a cooperative agreement with the Department of Juvenile Justice on the delivery of educational services to students under the jurisdiction of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Such agreement must include, but is not limited to:

(a) Roles and responsibilities of each agency, including the roles and responsibilities of contract providers.

(c) Allocation of resources including maximization of local, state, and federal funding.

(d) Procedures for educational evaluation for educational exceptionalities and special needs.

(e) Curriculum and delivery of instruction.

(f) Classroom management procedures and attendance policies.

(g) Procedures for provision of qualified instructional personnel, whether supplied by the district school board or provided under contract by the provider, and for performance of duties while in a juvenile justice setting.

(h) Provisions for improving skills in teaching and working with students referred to juvenile justice education programs.

(i) Transition plans for students moving into and out of juvenile justice education programs.

(j) Procedures and timelines for the timely documentation of credits earned and transfer of student records.

(k) Methods and procedures for dispute resolution.

(l) Provisions for ensuring the safety of education personnel and support for the agreed-upon education program.

(m) Strategies for correcting any deficiencies found through the accountability and evaluation system and student performance measures.

(15) Nothing in this section or in a cooperative agreement requires the district school board to provide more services than can be supported by the funds generated by students in the juvenile justice programs.

(16) The Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Juvenile Justice, district school boards, and providers, shall adopt rules establishing:

(a) Objective and measurable student performance measures to evaluate a student’s educational progress while participating in a prevention, day treatment, or residential program. The student performance measures must be based on appropriate outcomes for all students in juvenile justice education programs, taking into consideration the student’s length of stay in the program. Performance measures shall include outcomes that relate to student achievement of career education goals, acquisition of employability skills, receipt of a high school diploma or its equivalent, grade advancement, and the number of CAPE industry certifications earned.

(b) A performance rating system to be used by the Department of Education to evaluate the delivery of educational services within each of the juvenile justice programs. The performance rating shall be primarily based on data regarding student performance as described in paragraph (a).

(c) The timeframes, procedures, and resources to be used to improve a low-rated educational program or to terminate or reassign the program.

(d) The Department of Education, in partnership with the Department of Juvenile Justice, shall develop a comprehensive accountability and program improvement process. The accountability and program improvement process shall be based on student performance measures by type of program and shall rate education program performance. The accountability system shall identify and recognize high-performing education programs. The Department of Education, in partnership with the Department of Juvenile Justice, shall identify low-performing programs. Low-performing education programs shall receive an onsite program evaluation from the Department of Juvenile Justice. School improvement, technical assistance, or the reassignment of the program shall be based, in part, on the results of the program evaluation. Through a corrective action process, low-performing programs must demonstrate improvement or reassign the program.

(17) The department, in collaboration with the Department of Juvenile Justice, shall collect data and report on commitment, day treatment, prevention, and detention programs. The report shall be submitted to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor by February 1 of each year. The report must include, at a minimum:

(a) The number and percentage of students who:

1. Return to an alternative school, middle school, or high school upon release and the attendance rate of such students before and after participation in juvenile justice education programs.

2. Receive a standard high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma.

3. Receive industry certification.

4. Enroll in a postsecondary educational institution.

5. Complete a juvenile justice education program without reoffending.

6. Reoffend within 1 year after completion of a day treatment or residential commitment program.

7. Remain employed 1 year after completion of a day treatment or residential commitment program.

8. Demonstrate learning gains pursuant to paragraph (3)(b).

(b) The following cost data for each juvenile justice education program:

1. The amount of funding provided by district school boards to juvenile justice programs and the amount retained for administration, including documenting the purposes of such expenses.

2. The status of the development of cooperative agreements.

3. Recommendations for system improvement.

4. Information on the identification of, and services provided to, exceptional students, to determine whether these students are properly reported for funding and are appropriately served.

(18) The district school board shall not be charged any rent, maintenance, utilities, or overhead on such facilities. Maintenance, repairs, and remodeling of existing facilities shall be provided by the Department of Juvenile Justice.

(19) When additional facilities are required, the district school board and the Department of Juvenile Justice shall agree on the appropriate site based on the instructional needs of the students. When the most appropriate site for instruction is on district school board property, a special capital outlay request shall be made by the commissioner in accordance with s. 1013.60. When the most appropriate site is on state property, state capital outlay funds shall be requested by the Department of Juvenile Justice provided by s. 216.043 and shall be submitted as specified by s. 216.023. Any instructional facility to be built on state property shall have educational specifications jointly developed by the district school board and the Department of Juvenile Justice and approved by the Department of Education. The size of space and occupant design capacity criteria as provided by State Board of Education rules shall be used for remodeling or new construction whether facilities are provided on state property or district school board property.

(20) The parent of an exceptional student shall have the due process rights provided for in this chapter.

(21) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section. Such rules must require the minimum amount of paperwork and reporting.

(22) The Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Education, in consultation with CareerSource Florida, Inc., the statewide Workforce Development Youth Council, district school boards, Florida College System institutions, providers, and others, shall jointly develop a multiagency plan for CAPE which describes the funding, curriculum, transfer of credits, goals, and outcome measures for career education programming in juvenile commitment facilities, pursuant to s. 985.622. The plan must be reviewed annually.